Beloved Dragon
by White Eyebrow
Summary: The day after graduation the students dismiss; will Charlie tell her goodbye with a kiss? — This is another bit of fluff written for The Houses Competition, Year 5, Round 5.


_House: Gryffindor (The only house that matters)_

_Class Subject: Potions_

_Category: Drabble_

_Prompt: _[Date] The day after graduation

_Word Count: 996 (google docs), 6 (Author's notes)_

* * *

Beloved Dragon

Charlie Weasley set his suitcase down as he waited for the train to arrive at the Hogsmeade Railway station. He glanced at his pocket watch and frowned; the train was scheduled to arrive by now, yet it was nowhere in sight, not even a plume of smoke in the distance.

"Weasley!"

Charlie flinched and glanced over his shoulder. The visage of Peeves the poltergeist calmly 'walked' toward him with a leer.

"Peeves! What the devil are you doing in Hogsmeade?"

The entity casually circled behind him. "I couldn't have you leave without a proper send off, could I?" And it pinched his bum.

Charlie almost shrieked, when the timbre of the poltergiest's ensuing cachinnation changed to something more familiar—and feminine.

The deception exposed, Tonks shapeshifted back to her normal form, holding her belly. "You should see your face, Chuck!" She continued to laugh at his expense.

Charlie wagged his finger sternly. "Don't you _ever_ do that again"—his smile betrayed him—"not as Peeves, anyway."

Tonks grinned. "I thought to make myself into a dragon; that way, you'd actually be happy to see me."

"Why didn't you?"

"Scales are too hard to pull off." She regarded his suitcase and placed a hand on her cocked hip. "We graduated only yesterday… Don't you want to stay for the party?"

"The Dragon Institute in Romania has been eager to recruit me ever since I submitted my essay on Ridgebit's Thesis."

Her brow furrowed in recollection. "Are you talking about that time we freed the unicorns from the harvesters?"(1)

"Yes," he replied. "And I gave you full credit for the inspiration, of course."

"I see. So, it's _my_ fault that you were going to leave without so much as a goodbye?"

"Well, I don't think there's a fault to be assigned."

"What else is a girl supposed to think? All those adventures, all those detentions… I thought we shared something." Her demeanour suddenly changed as she folded her arms. "Or was I imagining things?"

Charlie straightened. "Er, sorry?"

"Seven years I've waited for you to make a move." She shrugged. "Nothing extraordinary, mind you: a kind word… dare I say, a kiss?"

He cleared his throat, but said nothing.

"But, I see now that that's never going to happen, is it?" She took a step closer. "What are you so afraid of, Chucky?" The pitch of her voice heightened, as she teased, "Afraid I'll steal you away from your precious dragons?"

He averted his eyes, looking down toward his shoes. "You're right; I've always had a predilection for dragons."

She snorted, shaking her head. "Well, I'm sure you'll find one in Romania that'll make you very happy." She then turned to leave. "Goodbye, Chuck."

Charlie closed his eyes and sighed heavily as he clenched his jaw. "It's too late for that, actually."

Tonks stilled. "Sorry?"

Charlie stood ever taller with his hands clasped behind his back. "I've never told you when I first fell in love with a dragon, have I, _Nymphadora?"_

Her eyes narrowed. "What did you call me?" And her hair, along with her eyes, reddened in their usual fashion when she became agitated.

He approached her with confidence, returning her glower with a sly grin. "My beloved dragon—" he ran his fingers through her blazing, red hair "—she has a fire mane—" his hand cradled the side of her face as he stared into her soul through a crimson pane "—with eyes like flame."

Her reddened eyes blinked several times. "Oh…."

"What am I afraid of...? I'm afraid that once I start kissing you, I'll never stop. We'll get married and move into a hovel right here in Hogsmeade—which is all I could afford on my Quidditch salary—and have seven kids."

"But, we can add _my_ salary; I'm going to be an Auror—"

"Not _my_ wife." For the first time he spoke to her with the authority of a man.

She passively bit her lower lip, regarding him with the deepest of red eyes. "Still, seven kids is a bit much… two, maybe."

"Four." He leaned in.

"Three." Her lips parted.

_SQUEEEEEEE!_

Tonks yelped, and they both gave a start at the train's untimely arrival. It rolled to a stop with a hiss, and the conductor hurriedly hopped onto the deck, heading straight for Charlie's luggage.

"Sorry, we're behind schedule; you're our only passenger this stop." He took Charlie's suitcase, saying, "All aboard!"

Charlie gently took her hand. "I'll… see you around, yeah?"

"Sure, Chuck."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Their fingers parted.

—oOo—

Many years later, the Battle of Hogwarts was just a memory for most. However, for Charlie, it was the day his love died.

The humid air was warm as he walked amidst the sea of tombstones, emboldening him to remove his jacket. He draped it over his burn-scarred arm, using the same hand that carried a bouquet of flowers. It had become a yearly ritual for him by now, one that he would observe till his dying day—wifeless and childless—in spite of the snide remarks whispered behind his back over his one-dimensional love of dragons.

No one would ever know that it was but a pretence.

The thunder rumbled. He arrived at his destination and knelt at the foot of her gravestone. His eyes welled as he read the inscription carved thereon:

HERE LIES DORA LUPIN  
BELOVED WIFE AND MOTHER

Charlie laid her favourite flowers on the ground and sat in silence.

The thunder boomed, and he looked skyward; the rain that trickled down his face disguised his tears.

**. . .**

_I wanted to kiss you instead of boarding that train  
__To save me from regret—  
__To save me from pain_

_Indeed, you could've had a very happy life  
__Living by my side as a dragon-keeper's wife_

_But, it would've been unkind to indulge my desire  
__To smother you in the mundane—  
__To quench your heart's fire_

_For, the spirit of a dragon is sorely unequipp'd  
__Living housebound with wings cruelly clipped_

_So, you see, my beloved, it was because I loved you so  
__That I couldn't be selfish, so I had to let you go_

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A/N:

(1) From _Ridgebit's Thesis_


End file.
